InsideMDSports: Paul Harris has top four, visits on tap

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In three months, Douglass (Upper Marlboro) wide receiver Paul Harris has gone from having no offers to sitting one short of 20. And Harris isn’t exactly piling offers from mid-level schools; some of college football’s powerhouses have invited him to join their programs.

But for Harris, who added offer No. 19 this weekend when Virginia Tech offered, four schools are currently standing out slightly above the rest.

“I have a top four, but all of the other schools, they’re still really in it,” he said. “But the four that stand out right now are USC [Southern California], Michigan, Tennessee and Penn State.”

Harris, a 6-foot-4 playmaker who recorded 39 catches for 735 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, has several visits on tap. He’s planning to make a return trip to Auburn on June 8, will head west to see USC on June 26 and plans to visit Michigan and Tennessee early this summer as well. He also plans to hit a few camps in hopes of earning an invite to The Opening in Oregon.

Though he’d originally planned to take his time with the process, he’s hoping to get a good feel for all of his options in case he decides to lock up a spot somewhere early.

“I wanted to wait it out, but so many kids are committing early and taking up spots, so I don’t want to wait too long,” Harris said.

Home-state Maryland is among the schools Harris remains interested in.

“I could definitely play at Maryland because everything’s right here and I’d have my home state behind me,” Harris said. “I haven’t heard from them as much as I’d like to. I talked to coach [Randy] Edsall a little bit and coach [Mike] Locksley, but I haven’t heard from them as much lately.

“I’m friends with [Terps recruit] LevernJacobs and I know SeanDavis. I was actually just with StefonDiggs this weekend at a prom. I’m pretty sure once Maryland tells him they want me, he’ll start talking to me about Maryland,” he said.

Harris, who’s also a standout in track, said his mother has printed out the rosters of his top schools and he’s evaluating which programs will be able to offer the opportunity to play.